Dope, Olympic flopshow mar Indian athletics in 2012

Indian athletics slumped to new depths of shame by producing the highest number of dope cheats while continuing the flopshow at the Olympics in yet another dismal year.

Indian athletics slumped to new depths of shame by producing the highest number of dope cheats while continuing the flopshow at the Olympics in yet another dismal year.

If 2011 was the year of worst doping scandals in Indian athletics involving six top quarter-milers, the year gone by brought another dubious low with the country producing the maximum dope cheats according to record books of the world governing body, the IAAF.

On the field, there were expectations that the 14-strong contingent would fight for a medal in the London Olympics but their campaign ended in the usual disappointing manner.

Most of them seemed to be just content making up the numbers and getting the Olympian tag.

What the able-bodied could not do was, however, achieved by differently-abled Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda, who clinched a silver medal in the men's high jump F42 event in the London Paralympics which were held just after the main Games.

Girisha, who has an impairment in his left leg, sailed over a height of 1.74m in the final of the event to finish second behind Iliesa Delana of Fiji. Though Girisha's barefoot scissor leap matched that of gold medallist Delana, he had to settle for silver for taking more jumps. F24 event was meant for athletes with an impairment that affects their arms or legs.

The 24-year-old son of a daily wage labourer from a little known town of Hosanagara in Karnataka became the toast of the country for a brief while with cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar describing him "an inspiration" for the people of the country.

Elsewhere, the woes continued with the Sports Ministry asking the Athletics Federation of India to amend its constitution and re-conduct the polls under the Sports Code to three top posts in two month's time or face de-recognition.